Emerton leads Sydney to 2-1 win over Perth

All class ... Sydney's marquee man Brett Emerton scored one and set up another in his team's 2-1 win over Perth.

Getty Images: Ryan Pierse

Marquee man Brett Emerton has led Sydney FC to only its fourth home win this A-League season, defeating Perth Glory 2-1 at the Sydney Football Stadium.

The veteran Socceroo, back from injury, was the Sky Blues' saviour, scoring the first goal and setting up Brazilian import Bruno Cazarine for the second, while Billy Mehmet pulled one back in the dying minutes for the Glory.

With the valuable three points, Sydney leapfrogs Melbourne Victory to sit in seventh place on the ladder but equal on 27 points with the six-placed Melbourne Heart.

Fourth-placed Perth remains unchanged on the ladder.

Perth was on the attack from the start with Steven McGarry having a shot with just a minute on the clock but the hosts replied with Joel Chianese, in his starting debut in place of injured striker Mark Bridge, also attempting a strike moments later.

Sydney gloveman Ivan Necevski, in only his second start this season after Liam Reddy was axed following last week's 5-2 thumping at the hands of Newcastle, was tested by the Glory attack midway through the opening stanza.

Shane Smeltz fired a shot with Necevski forced into action again only seconds later by Travis Dodd.

The Glory came out in the second half looking to create chances and it did not take long with Dodd attempting a strike only a minute after the whistle.

But it was the hosts who finally broke the deadlock in the 54th minute when Slovakian import Karol Kisel cut the ball back to stand-in skipper Emerton, leading the side in place of suspended captain Terry McFlynn, who scored with a superb strike for his fourth goal of the season but first from open play.

The goal, delighting the 8,508 Sydney faithful at the SFS, seemed to spark the Sky Blues into action with Nicky Carle and Chianese trying to double the Sky Blues' lead, both hits forcing saves from Perth goalkeeper Daniel Vukovic.

It was Sydney's top-scorer this season Cazarine who put the hosts 2-0 up in the 72nd minute getting on the end of an Emerton cross into the box to head home for his seventh goal.

The visitors pulled one back in the 86th minute, however, when Mehmet got on the end of a Dean Heffernan ball to slot home and make it 2-1.

"I have to say I am happy because we responded the right way (to last week's 5-2 loss to Newcastle)," outgoing Sydney coach Vitezslav Lavicka said.

"This result, this performance was like a present for the Sydney FC members and fans ... because they stayed with us and supported us."

Emerton, who missed last Sunday's loss - Sydney's fifth at home - with a hamstring injury, was happy to be back on the pitch and even happier to be wearing the captain's armband.

"When you captain any team, it always gives you that little bit of extra incentive to lead by example," he said.

"I tried to do that tonight and the rest of the boys obviously followed and everyone put in a great performance. There wasn't a bad player out there."

Glory coach Ian Ferguson was unhappy to have lost the match after dominating the opening half.

"All of us are very disappointed. I think we played really well in the first half," he said.